Medical Network One introduced its Pediatric Obesity Program (POP) in January 2006 to curb Michigan’s growing pediatric obesity trend and implement practical, coordinated, healthy weight loss strategies for children.  The Pediatric Obesity Program is the first and only one of its kind in the state, offering families the option to have the program conducted either in their pediatrician’s office or at one of four Medical Network One facilities. 

POP is a coordinated effort between the patient and the patient’s family, the physician, exercise specialists, dietitians, other clinicians as necessary, and even an educational consultant. That’s because, while obesity in children doesn’t always trigger immediate health concerns like hypertension and type II diabetes, its negative long-term impact on the child as a whole person is profound. POP was developed as a holistic program that touches all aspects of the child’s recovery to a healthy weight: physical, emotional and academic. For example, overweight children can suffer academically because emotional scarring often prevents them from reaching their potential in school.  Having an educational consultant on board addresses that issue from the start, before serious learning delays can set in. 

When a pediatrician involved with POP sees a patient exceeding the 85% mark on the growth chart for weight, without a corresponding charting for height, the physician will start with an exercise program and other interventions.  Prior to POP, pediatricians had been at a disadvantage in treating childhood obesity because they lacked the skilled, multi-faceted support staff required to effectively treat the condition. Medical Network One’s Pediatric Obesity Program gives physicians the team approach needed to positively impact a child’s health and well being.

Medical Network One has a successful track record with weight loss programs. In 2004, it partnered with Blue Care Network (BCN) to offer BCN subscribers the Medical Network One-designed Weigh to Go program. Now entering its third year, hundreds of participants have averaged a 20 pound, sustained weight loss using many of the principles found in the new Pediatric Obesity Program.   To learn more about Weigh to Go, click here.

To enroll in the Pediatric Obesity Program, click here.